Pokémon Sun and Moon: We Rise and We Fall
by AmberTheCritic
Summary: Basically an attempt to put the events of the game(s) in narrative format. OC in place of protagonist, but it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as the in-game character is as developed as wet cardboard. Rated T for language and some dark themes (death, abuse/neglect- nothing smutty).
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey there- thanks for giving the story a chance. I'm aware that it starts out pretty dang slow... but that's how the game operates, eh? I swear the sass and hopefully your enjoyment picks up as the story continues. Hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

 _The elevator slowed to a halt, hardly making a sound. Its lone passenger scanned the area, praying she wasn't noticed. The ambiance was no more than a gentle trickle of water and an occasional Pokémon call._

 _She breathed deeply, and with trepidation, began to walk forward._

 _Her shoes clunked softly against the floor, seeming thunderous to her now. She cast her gaze down, a large white hat shielding her eyes from view. If she just kept walking, quietly… she'd make it out, unnoticed._

 _At her side, the duffle bag tremored. The girl risked giving it a comforting pat._

 _"Don't worry," she whispered, "We're almost there. You'll be alright, Nebby…"_

 _The path began to curve, so she set a hand on the railing on the side, steadying her nerves._

 _Just a little bit further…_

 _Hurried footsteps broke her out of the calm state, and she couldn't help but turn._

 _"There she is!" A man shouted, joined by another, "After her!"_

 _The girl gasped, clutching at the bag's strap. Frozen, she could only stare. When the men were within a few feet, she was able to force herself into a desperate run._

 _"Get back here!" they shouted, making her heart hammer even faster inside her chest. She bolted down the winding paths, so quickly that she lost her sense of direction. There was a fork, she went left—the men were gaining on her._

 _She skidded to a halt with a cry; a man blocked her path._

 _He smirked, "And where are you going?"_

 _The girl backtracked a few steps, only for any route of escape to be blocked by other two pursuing her._

 _She looked back in forth between the two groups, but neither prepared to relent. Instead, they closed in._

 _"N—No—" She clutched the bag close to herself, shaking madly, "Please—"_

 _One of the men seemed to laugh at her helplessness, and the girl realized she had no chance._

 _The bag moved even more violently than before, and suddenly, began to radiate a brilliant blue light. The girl watched in amazement, and the men retreated in confusion._

 _"What is that?" one barked, "What are you doing?"_

 _The girl shook her head vigorously, "I-I don't know—"_

 _A noise like an explosion crescendoed with the light, and then, it burst in a blinding spectrum._

 _The men shielded their eyes, and by the time they looked back, the path was empty._

 _The girl, and whatever she had hidden in her bag, was long gone._

* * *

-Three months later-

* * *

Ms. Mercer stretched, drawing in a deep breath of the island air.

"Ahhh, could anything be more invigorating?" she crooned, "The very first morning under Alola's bright sun!"

Behind her, a meowth squinted, then rubbed at his eyes with a paw.

"Mrrrow," he seemed to disagree, half blinded.

Ms. Mercer laughed, "I'm sure you'll get used to it, Milo!" She turned back to the edge of the wooden porch, facing the scenery with a blissful beam, "I feel like I could stay out here for hours!"

Milo yawned lazily, matching her enthusiasm to the best of his ability.

"Well, that's enough of that—there's unpacking to do!" Ms. Mercer turned back to the meowth, "Milo, go wake up Zayne for me, will you?"

Caught in the middle of a satisfying stretch, he looked annoyed. But soon, an evil glint entered his eyes.

Without any evidence of urgency, Milo strolled into the house, packed with cardboard boxes and bare furniture. A door was cracked open, allowing him access to the brief stairway beyond. He silently stalked up them, whiskers twitching in anticipation. This was his _favorite_ way to start the day.

Milo entered the dark bedroom, curtains snuffing out any sunlight that attempted to permeate it. Against the far wall stood a bed, and on it, a lump was stirring slightly.

"Mrow!" Milo announced boisterously, his head held high with pride.

The lump groaned, and pulled the blanket tighter to itself.

Milo grinned—he would not be dissuaded quite so easily.

Ignored by the meowth, a large shadow in one of the room's corners made a motion with its hand—the curtains flew open with a swift snap, and the light shone in without pardon.

With another more aggravated groan, the lump retreated into a tight ball, completely concealed beneath the quilt. It seemed as if refused to budge, regardless of any measure taken.

But Milo had an ace up his metaphorical sleeve. Lowering to all fours, he crept to the bedside, a predatory purr rumbling in his throat. His tail quivered, fur bristling on end.

Then, he leapt into the air, claws flashing.

 _"Mrrrrrawwwwrrr!"_ was his battle cry as he landed squarely on the lump, making every attempt to pin the claws into something soft and vulnerable.

"Ow!" Zayne snapped, throwing off the quilt and sending the meowth flying, _"Dammit Milo!"_

He landed nimbly, and offered only a smug smile back at her.

"Meow?" he inquired sweetly, his face a mask of innocence.

Zayne hurled a pillow, "Get out of here!"

Milo dodged the projectile with ease, trotting out. But before he left, he stopped at a large Ditto plush beside the door. Looking directly at Zayne, as if inviting her to stop him, he raked a set of claws across it.

 _"Milo!"_ she threatened, only to be met with a series of chirps as the meowth scurried to safety.

Zayne growled, rubbing the crust out of her eyes, "I hate that little..." She spotted the still figure in the corner, "Thanks for you help, jerk."

The hypno let out a breath, a scoff of sorts, and shrugged in a "What are you gonna do?" manner.

She scrunched up her face in displeasure, and with a huff and screech of bedsprings, returned to the lazy comfort of her bed.

"Zayne!" her mother called in a musical, cheery tone, "Time to wake up, dear!"

It took a grueling three minutes, but by then, Zayne had hung her legs over the side of the bed. She slouched drastically.

After a moment of inactivity, the hypno "tsked," making her glance up.

"What?"

He simply pointed up to the clock, indicating the late hour of the morning.

"So?"

Her short prompts were only met with a passive shrug. But rather than leave it at that, he took the extra effort to slide forth her eevee slippers.

Zayne smirked, "Thanks Sigmund."

He nodded.

She rolled tiredly to her feet, sliding into the slippers in the process. With a yawn, she gestured for Sigmund to follow her.

"Come on. If I don't get to hide in here all day, neither do you."

Sigmund followed her without protest.

Zayne trudged into the hall, past the spare bedroom, nearly stumbling down the pitiful stairs, and into the living room. She paid little mind to the boxes, packed with the dismembered building blocks of their previous home.

Milo was reigning supreme on a dining room chair, massaging his claws into the cushion.

"Knock it off," she muttered, shooing him with a hand, "Get."

He hissed his refusal, raking them in deeper.

" _Milo_ , get off—"

"Oh, now what is my little purr baby doing?"

Ms. Mercer entered from the outside patio, smiling as always. It widened when she saw Zayne in all of her disheveled glory.

"Well good morning, sunshine!" She walked forward to hug her daughter, "I didn't expect you to be up this early!"

"Uh-huh." Zayne was immobilized by the embrace, "…What time even is it?"

"Well, it's 11:30—but it's early for you, isn't it?" Once she was satisfied, she knelt down to trap Sigmund in the same manner, "Good morning, Sigmund! How are you today?"

He looked to Zayne, imploring her to interpret for him.

"He says he's good." She offered a quick breath as a laugh, "Didn't sleep though."

Ms. Mercer gave the both of them a knowing smile, understanding the joke.

"Very funny, you two," she said, "Ever since he's been a part of the family, Sigmund hasn't slept a wink—kinda like me, once I became a mother!" She laughed at her own joke.

Zayne just rolled her eyes, "Mm-hm."

Ms. Mercer picked up the now purring meowth and began to scratch his chin affectionately.

"There's my furry little Milo baby," she cooed, "Who's my fluffy baby? You are! Yes you are!"

"He tried to claw my flesh off, a second ago."

"I'm sure he was just playing," her mother assured, "Milo loves you!"

He gave Zayne a smug look.

She glared at him, "The feeling isn't mutual."

Ms. Mercer laughed off the harsh comment and changed the subject, "Aren't you excited, dear?"

"About?"

"About our new home, silly! About all the fun you'll have here in Alola! It's the place everyone is vying to be, you know—a big draw for tourists from all over! Just think about all the new friends you'll make, the new Pokémon you'll meet—it's all so exciting!"

"Yeah," was all Zayne offered, "I bet."

The doorbell rang, catching them both by surprise.

"Oh? I wonder who that is?" She set Milo down on the floor, "Will you get that, Zayne?"

She obeyed without comment, heading towards the door—

—only for it to swing open well before she got there.

"Alola, Mercers!" a man shouted, grinning from ear to ear. He entered, passing Zayne along the way.

 _Uh. Come in_ , she internally said. Apparently, he hadn't needed an invitation.

Ms. Mercer matched his smile, "Alola, Professor Kukui!"

 _This region's professor?_ Zayne hadn't taken much time to look at him when he'd entered, so she glanced up to do so.

"Alola, cousin!" he greeted, slapping her on the back, "You must be Zayne, yeah?"

Two things rendered her speechless. The first was the slap on the back; it was probably not as gentle as intended. In fact, he'd succeeded in knocking a good half of the air from her lungs.

The second was slightly less jarring, but only just. The professor sported a well-worn white lab coat… and no shirt.

That wasn't to say he necessarily _needed_ one, but…

To prevent the fail of her poker face, Zayne managed to force out a low "Yeah."

Kukui put a hand on her shoulder, jostling her in a friendly manner, "The jet lag hitting you, coming all the way from Kanto?"

 _It's apparently not the only thing hitting me._

"Just a bit," Ms. Mercer answered for her, "We arrived yesterday."

"Yeah? Hope you don't mind me letting myself in like that, Mom—and you can just call me Kukui, yeah? We're all family here in Alola!"

Zayne narrowed her eyes at the excessively friendly tone. Her eyes flicked to the professor's hands to test her suspicions: silver ring on the fourth finger. Looked like a wedding ring. Hopefully her mother's own ring would prevent any… misunderstandings.

Her mother seemed oblivious to Zayne's sudden standoffish mood, "Of course! Why, I still remember seeing you battle the Indigo Gym Leaders back in Kanto all those years ago, you know! I've been in love with Alolan Pokémon ever since, so I finally decided to come here myself!"

"Oh yeah," Zayne added, "I remember that." Her smirk widened a bit, "Didn't do as well as you thought you would, huh?"

Kukui wasn't offended like she'd half hoped: in fact, he laughed.

"Ha! If you wanna put it nicely! I was supposed to be there researching Kanto moves and all! Thought I knew a thing or two about battling, but those guys proved me wrong!"

 _Okay, now *that's* putting it nicely: you got your ass handed to you.  
_

"But hey now, I stopped on by to get you, Zayne," he said, changing the subject, "We gotta shake a leg and get to the next town over—the Island Kahuna's waiting to meet you."

 _The heck is a kahuna?_ was the question that came to mind, but the one she verbalized was "Why?"

"Nah, I ain't spoiling it for you! You gotta come with me and find out for yourself—" He stopped short, glancing down at her in full, "That is, maybe after you've ditched the fuzzy slippers, yeah?"

She felt a rush of blood to her cheeks, and attempted to cover it with sarcasm, "Nah, I was thinking of keeping them. Adds to the whole "just woke up" vibe."

Kukui just laughed, "You're not wrong."

Zayne left the living room, shutting her bedroom door swiftly behind her to change.

Her mother had gone ahead and bought them new clothes from the region—so they could "fit in," as she explained. Zayne hadn't even bothered to look at them.

She threw on clothes, then took a second to see herself over. Her face contorted in… unease.

"Dear god, why is this so short?" She tugged at the green shorts, but they fell back into place in the upper half of her thighs. The islandy shirt was large and baggy, tied in the front, though it wasn't quite big enough to hide the embarrassingly short shorts. It was also yellow, covered in colorful flowers.

She was not a fan of yellow.

"Why."

The shoes were fine. She ditched the purse for her usual black backpack. Because she wanted to carry things larger than a single cylinder of chapstick.

There was something weird and red at the bottom of one of the boxes; she took it out to examine it.

"… Is this supposed to be some sort of hat?" she muttered aloud, and tried it on—only to immediately remove it.

"It's a giant flower," she commented, "How about no."

She ran hands through her hair instead of brushing it, and looked at herself a final time.

"Good enough."

She left her room and headed towards the living room, but paused before entering. Kukui and her mother were talking, so she hung back to see what she'd hear.

"So he'd simply give my girl a Pokémon?"

"I'd put money on it, yeah! Usually it's for kids who wanna get their first Pokémon and start their island challenge and all, but I'm thinking old Hala wouldn't have a problem with it."

Zayne frowned, _Mom, no. I told you I don't want—_

"Hey! So this is a Kanto hypno, right? How you doing, cousin?"

 _Touch my hypno and you are dead._

"Yes, this is Zayne's Pokémon, Sigmund! He was her starter."

"Yeah? Pretty cool first choice—kinda off the wall from the Kanto starters, isn't he?"

"Oh, that's a long story! See, it was actually her b— There you are, Zayne! I thought maybe you'd gone back to bed!"

She trudged out of the hallway, doing her best to stuff her hands in the insultingly small pockets.

Professor Kukui was playing with Milo, who was putting on a friendly façade for company. Sigmund stood nearby, having seen her long before she entered. He stared at her, already knowing what was on her mind. She didn't acknowledge it.

"Well, don't you look ready to take on the world!" Ms. Mercer beamed at her, "I'll be sure to have everything unpacked and cleaned up by the time you come back."

The mountains of boxes made her doubtful, "Sure mom."

Kukui let Milo roll out of his lap, brushing off the excessive meowth fur as he stood, "Looking stylin', cousin! Let's get going to Iki Town, yeah?"

"Sure." She nodded back to Sigmund, "C'mon Sig."

Ms. Mercer followed them all the way to the door, waving them off.

"Bye sweetie! Love you!"

Zayne offered a brief wave, not looking back.

The moment she stepped off the porch, she squinted in the bright light. The surrounding area was radiantly green with all sorts of plants, the heat from the high sun as overbearing as its light.

Kukui had headed towards a path to the right, so she followed after him without picking up her pace.

He stopped where the path began, waiting for her to catch up to him.

"Your mom sure is excited about you getting out of the house, huh?" he joked.

"Yep."

"How's this place compare to Kanto? Weather wise?"

Zayne tugged at the strap of her backpack, mostly avoiding his eyes, "Hot."

"Ain't that the truth—once the breeze gets going, you won't even notice." He readjusted the brim of his hat, "Let's cut up through here to get to Iki Town, yeah? We wanna get there before night!"

Regardless, her pace remained the same. Sigmund kept at her side, looking less at the scenery than he was up at her.

She caught the focus, "What?"

He shrugged.

"Yeah. It's different, huh?" Zayne kicked at the dirt path, lowering her voice, "What were mom and him talking about a new Pokémon?"

It was expected—he frowned at her, knowing the question could very well lead to complaining.

She made a gesture with her hands, in defense, "Fine, I'll leave it alone."

Kukui had slowed down considerably, not wanting to walk several feet ahead of her.

"I met Sigmund, there," he said, "We got some drowzee and hypno here in Alola, too. They like to keep to themselves mostly, and laze around: heard they're pretty scary deals in Kanto?"

"Yeah, kidnapping kids and all," she answered.

"Yikes." He grinned nonetheless, "Nah, our hypno don't do much of that. We got a whole 'nother slew of Pokémon to terrify people."

She doubted he was joking, "Yippee."

As they neared another branch in the path, a young boy ran up to Kukui, practically bounding forward.

"Oh yeah, look there!" He gave the kid a hair ruffle, "What'cha need, trainer?"

"Professor! Professor! Can you recommend another new Pokémon move for me sometime?" The boy hopped eagerly, "Please?"

Kukui bent down to see the kid eye to eye, "Why? You already know which moves you wanna use, yeah?"

"Sorta… Lassie should learn bite in a little while!"

"See? You already got a plan! So you come battle me when you've got that move down, yeah?"

"Okay! I'll do that!" The boy ran off with a smile.

Zayne raised an eyebrow, _Is everyone in Alola this obnoxiously cheery?_

Sigmund gave her a look. It was supposed to be chastising, but she knew in a sense, he agreed.

Finally, after ascending a set of stone steps, they made it to something resembling a town. It was small, filled with a few sparse houses, centered around a square wooden deck: an arena of sorts. Behind the town was an enormous, dense forest.

"Here's Iki Town for you!" Kukui introduced, "This is the town where folks come to worship the Guardian Deity that watches over Melemele Island: Tapu Koko."

 _That's new. Guardian Deity?_

Instead of explaining, Kukui seemed to be searching around for something that wasn't there.

"Huh? What's going on here?" He looked around a bit more, "We were supposed to meet everybody right here, yeah." Kukui crossed his arms, thinking, "Might be back on Mahalo. Huh."

Kukui turned back to face her, "Hey Zayne, how about you do me a solid and help me find the kahuna? I'll hang back here, to make sure ol' Hala doesn't slip away from us a second time."

"Uh, sure," she unenthusiastically agreed, "His name's Hala?"

"Yeah. You can't miss 'em—he looks just like a kahuna!"

Zayne waited for an actual helpful piece of advice, but got none. She frowned.

"Thanks."

With Sigmund at her side, she walked further into the little village, glancing around without much excitement.

"Small," she mused.

Zayne approached the wooden deck in the center, finding it painted like an area for battling. She tested one of the steps, and finding it sturdy, climbed up on top of it.

Sigmund had stopped at the bottom, staring at something unseen.

She scoffed, thinking she knew what he was implying, "No, I'm not going to try to break it like I did with those crates in the power plant. Jeez."

He shook his head, and pointed back towards the forest. Zayne followed the gesture.

A girl, dressed all in white, was walking up the pathway that cut between the trees. After a few steps, she nearly stumbled, then steadied a duffle bag that dangled at her side.

Zayne looked back to Sigmund, "What about her?"

He blinked.

"Why the heck do you want me to stalk her?"

Sigmund huffed; she was missing his point.

"You want me to stalk her because she gives you a weird feeling? What the hell are you talking about?"

This was going nowhere. Sigmund walked a few steps towards the trail, then glanced back at her.

"Alright. Not like we have anything better to do, I guess." She rejoined him, "We'll stalk the weird girl."

They approached the head of the trail, and Zayne read the sign next to it: _The Ruins of Conflict._

"Nice welcoming name," she commented. She didn't want to admit it, since this wasn't her idea in the first place, but she was curious now. The ominous name only fueled said desire for mischief.

The trail slowly ascended a hill, concealed from the outside by the dense trees. Every few feet, it was bordered on either side by a stone statue. It was cylindrical, with an intimidating face carved in the front.

"I need one of these in my room," she told Sigmund, "Sure-fire way to keep Milo out."

He smirked.

"No, I will not just shut my door. Why would I want to solve a problem so easily?" After she'd made the comment, she added, "Remind me to just shut the damn door, tonight."

As they walked on, Zayne spotted the tail end of a white dress, rounding a bend in the trail.

"…you can't come out! We'll get in trouble if anyone sees you!"

Zayne stopped, but heard nothing else.

"… You hear that?" she asked.

Sigmund nodded.

"I take back what I said about not wanting to stalk her," Zayne told him, "Come on."

By the look on his face, she could tell he was beginning to regret the choice, but he stayed by her nonetheless.

They snuck up the rest of the trail, keeping an eye out for the girl. It wasn't long before they found her; she was standing at the edge of a rickety wooden bridge, suspended over nothingness. She held onto her giant white sunhat, back to them.

"N-no! Nebby!" she cried out towards the bridge. Zayne could spot a few spearow circling around the bridge, screeching and diving towards an unseen target.

Zayne was more interested in the girl, and edged forward slightly, doing her best to be heard without speaking up.

The girl's head turned slightly, then in full to face her.

She had to be younger than Zayne, at least by a year or two. Her long blonde hair was nearly the same color as her white clothing, blending into her pale skin. It all served as a backdrop to her striking green eyes, currently widened in panic.

Zayne just blinked, "… Uh. Hey."

The girl seemed to take a step back, "… Ah…"

"What? I'm not going to bite."

She squeezed the strap of her duffle bag, "…H-help… Please! Save Nebby!"

"Nebby?"

The girl stepped aside to reveal the bridge in full. Near the center, a small blue Pokémon Zayne had never seen before was huddled in fear, crying out. The spearow were dive bombing it relentlessly, making it flinch away, though it didn't attack.

Zayne cocked her head, "What the heck is that?"

"P-please!" the girl insisted, "I-I'm too afraid to go out there!"

"Alright," she responded passively, approaching the bridge- then she actually examined it.

Indeed, the bridge appeared less than reliable. Wooden planks were askew or missing altogether in some places. The water below was rushing quickly, interrupted by large, jagged rocks.

"… Well then." Zayne was beginning to have second thoughts, "Um…"

Sigmund had taken a single step out onto the bridge before Zayne grabbed his arm.

"Whoa whoa, hey!" she shouted, "Where do you think you're going? I'll do it."

He huffed in disagreement.

"No you do _not_ weigh less than I do," she retorted, "Don't try that."

Sigmund frowned, then made a recognizable gesture with his hands.

"Fine." Zayne sat cross-legged before him, "It's one-two-three-shoot, got it?"

The girl was standing behind them, confused, "Um—"

"Hold on," Zayne shot back, eyes never leaving the hypno, "Alright: rock, paper, scissors, shoot—goddammit."

He started to stand before she stopped him again.

"Best two out of three."

Sigmund rolled his eyes, not bothering to sit again; he beat her a second time.

Suddenly, something clicked in Zayne's mind.

"Wait a minute—you're using your powers to cheat, aren't you?" she accused. Without waiting for his response, she took matters into her own hands and approached the bridge.

Zayne took a step… and it held.

So she took another. Then another. Then a few more.

Only when her confidence returned did the first plank creak under her weight.

Zayne hopped back, heart leaping into her throat. She became acutely aware of the myriad of rocks below. Any one of them would easily impale her head or chest, if she plummeted just right.

"Oooooookay then," she breathed, "How about we just step over that plank there…"

The next was sturdy like the rest, but she didn't let her guard down again.

Her pace slowed significantly, tension rising with each step that didn't result in a fall. The faulty plank that would kill her was there somewhere, she was sure of it.

 _Why the hell am I even doing this?_ she internally groaned _, It's *her* weird Pokémon, she can save it herself._

"D-don't fall!" the girl called out, rooted to the solid ground before the bridge.

Zayne couldn't help but shoot a glare back, "Thanks for the tip!"

Sigmund was clutching one of the bridge's posts like a lifeline—he looked like his heart was about to give out. Zayne offered him an unconvincing smile, then continued to walk.

As she neared the commotion, the spearow showed no sign of letting up their attack. Zayne held onto the bridge's wooden handrails, then lowered to a knee. She held out a hand to the blue Pokémon, beckoning it forward.

"C'mere, buddy," she tried to coax, "I'll getcha out of here."

It tried to obey, but was dissuaded by a swooping spearow, and backed into its former place.

Zayne growled, "Oh for the love of—" She considered cutting her losses and returning to the beginning of the bridge. But instead, with another growl, she released the bridge's handrail.

She crawled forward, on hands and knees, just evading the spearow's talons. She could distinctly hear planks creaking and groaning under the movement, but willingly ignored it. Once she was within arm's reach, Zayne swept up the Pokemon, holding it beneath her.

The spearow refused to relent—they just chose a new target.

Zayne felt a slash across the back of her neck, making her flinch.

"Hey!" She swatted at a diving spearow, "Back off!"

The entire bridge rollicked, and Zayne tucked in her head protectively.

"Shit shit shit…." She whispered. _What the hell now?! I'm not crawling back with these things trying to gouge my eyes out!_

She was struck again, and again. The entire flock of spearow prepared for another onslaught of attacks.

The felt the bridge begin to tremor lowly, then more severely. A bright light had begun to shine from the Pokémon beneath her, making Zayne start to roll off it in shock.

"What the hell—"

With a sudden burst, the light exploded—as did the surrounding section of the bridge.

It happened within seconds; first there were planks beneath her, then there weren't. She was free-falling.

Zayne's mind rushed to preserve itself in any way possible: pointless grabbling for aid, flailing. There was nothing.

The only conscious action she had time to take was to reach out and take hold of the blue Pokémon, pulling it to her chest protectively. She twisted in the air, trying to turn onto her back, but only made it to her side.

 _Guess this is it_ , was the strangely calm thought that entered her mind, _If I could do it all again… guess I'd help less people. Since this is what did me in, apparently._

 _Why couldn't I have died in something other than these stupid shorts?_

Then, when she was inches from the water, a flash of electricity erupted in the sky. Faster than anyone could track, something bolted down towards Zayne, catching her by the arms, then just as suddenly shot back up into the sky.

The rapid change of direction made her head snap forward, jarring her vision. The next thing she knew, she'd been lowered to the ground, much less dead than she'd expected.

Zayne remained in the fetal position, mind scrambled and rushing to catch up with her.

Sigmund rushed over, planting himself between her and a figure only a few feet away. She had enough sense to glance up at it—and found herself no less confused than before.

It was tall, orange and black, almost feathered, with… a yellow shell for wings? It was hard to describe it any other way. Its eyes stared past Sigmund and bore straight into hers, relentless.

She blinked, unable to speak.

Sigmund wasn't messing around- he held out an arm in front of Zayne, urging the Pokémon to back off. He was fully prepared to fight.

The Pokémon let out a shrill cry, electricity dancing along its body in ribbons. With that it shot into the sky once more, disappearing in a flash.

Zayne blinked a few more times… then lied out across her back.

Sigmund stared down at her, concerned.

"… Dude. I almost died." Her tone was flat, without inflection, "And was saved by a… giant, electric… chicken thing."

The blue Pokémon hopped out of her arms, almost oblivious to the trouble it had caused. Zayne didn't bother to sit up again, staring at the now empty sky.

A moment later, the girl appeared in her line of sight, upside down.

"Are… are you okay?" she asked.

"Fantastic," Zayne answered shortly.

The girl frowned, "… Forgive me. I'm so grateful to you, for helping us out of that—"

"It's fine," she cut off, sitting up, "Don't worry about it."

The blue Pokémon chirped, floating around the two of them.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" she told the Pokémon, "You tried using your powers again, didn't you? Oh, Nebby… you know what happened the last time you did that."

"Pew!" it replied, interested in other things. It flew up to Sigmund, chirping in quick succession. The hypno eyed it with interest, then offered a wave.

Satisfied, Nebby floated elsewhere, then stopped at a spot on the ground.

"Pew!" It turned to the girl, trying to get her attention, "Pew pew!"

"Did you find something?" she asked, and approached the area herself. She knelt down to pick up the object, concealed from Zayne's view.

Sigmund had helped Zayne to her feet, eyeing her sternly.

"What? I'm fine, aren't I?" she replied, but his expression didn't soften.

The girl moved to stand in front of her, a hand extended.

"Here. I think this stone must belong to you."

It was placed into her hand: a rock. But a shiny rock. It sported the worn-down remnants of an emblem, but not of anything she could recognize. Somehow, it seemed warm.

"… Thanks." She flashed it back at Sigmund, a skeptical expression on her face.

Still determined to be angry with her, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Um, do you think—you could keep this a secret?" the girl hesitantly asked, "I mean, seeing Nebby and all… We could get in a lot of trouble."

Zayne's interest spiked, "Oh yeah? Why?"

The girl seemed to draw into herself, threatened. Her pale cheeks glowed pink.

"Um, I-I—"

Zayne just scoffed, "I'm joking. Yeah, I didn't see anything."

Her reassurance did little good, and the girl called the Pokemon to her, "Nebby, back in the bag."

It offered another pew, unwilling, but did as she asked.

The girl turned on a heel and began to head for the path… but stopped.

She glanced back at Zayne, seeming hesitant again.

"… I… I know it's too much for me to ask this, after all you've already done," she prefaced timidly, "But… do you think you could see us back to the village? I'm worried about more wild Pokémon attacking us, or… or something."

Zayne shrugged, "Sure. Doesn't look like I'll be going the other way, anytime soon." She gestured back to the demolished bridge with a wave.

The girl nodded once, curtly, "Thank you." Without waiting, she turned her back and began to walk forward again.

Sigmund silently rejoined Zayne's side, without looking up at her.

She held up the stone a second time, "You sure you don't wanna see my sparkly rock reward?"

"It's cool. Totally worth almost drowning."

She reached down to scratch the collar of fur around his neck, something he loved, and he did his best to resist.

"Come on, Sig. Let's finish stalking the girl you wanted us to follow in the first place," she teased.

He huffed, but he complied.

After a few feet, the girl abruptly halted in her tracks.

Zayne followed in suit, saying nothing.

Stilted, the blonde girl spun around, her cheeks renewed with pink.

"Um. And I know you didn't ask. But. Um." She stammered horribly, "B-but—my name is Lillie!"

"… Alright. Cool." Zayne raised a few fingers in a wave, "Zayne."

Lillie jerked her head down in a nod, then hurriedly resumed walking.

Zayne and Sigmund shared similar glances, but neither voiced their thoughts aloud. They didn't need to.

* * *

 _ **Thank you again for reading! I'd love to hear any suggestions you have for the story and characters, so don't hesitate.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Short, but I wanted to get something out. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

She heard Kukui long before she actually saw him, only moments after stepping off Mahalo Trail.

"Hey! Zayne!" He waved enthusiastically from the other side of the wooden arena, "Looks like you missed the Kahuna, yeah?"

Zayne frowned, glancing back at Sigmund, "Well maybe if I'd been given a better idea of what a "Kahuna" looked like—"

Kukui met the girls halfway, grinning at Lillie especially, "But you found my assistant! That's just as good!"

Lillie gravitated towards the professor, seeming far more intimidated by Zayne.

"Lillie, this here is Zayne—she and her mom just moved here to Alola," he introduced, "You keep her out of trouble, yeah?"

Zayne couldn't help but scoff _._

 _Good luck with that._

Lillie seemed to frown, but nodded her head in a greeting regardless.

"So…" She began quietly, "You're also one of the professor's acquaintances?"

"Uh…" Zayne mulled over the term, "I mean, I only met him a couple minutes ago. I dunno if really that counts as—"

They were interrupted by a commotion around the beginning of the town, as a few people gathered eagerly.

"Ah, the Kahuna is back!" one announced.

"Our guardian's chosen one!"

"Right on time!" Kukui waved the girls and Sigmund forward, "Shake a leg, you three!"

Lillie hurried to keep pace with the professor, Zayne presented no sign of urgency as she followed.

She caught sight of a man mounting the town's stone steps; he was impossible to miss both because of his size and his glaringly yellow overshirt. He had white hair tied up atop his head, and a bushy white mustache that masked his expression—whatever it was.

When he noticed Kukui was approaching him hastily, he raised an equally bushy eyebrow.

"Have I missed something?" he inquired curiously.

"Nah, but where'd you run off to, Kahuna?" Kukui questioned, "Thought we were meeting here, yeah?"

Kahuna Hala simply crossed his arms, "I am Kahuna of the entire island, my boy. Whenever there is a problem anywhere on the island, it is my duty to resolve it."

"Yeah? You have to go beat some ruffians into submission?" Kukui joked.

Hala's mustache twitched subtly upwards, the hint of a smile, "Not this time. Strangely, I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…"

Lillie perked up, "Oh! Um… yes, Kahuna Hala… Nebby was being attacked by spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl—" She glanced back at Zayne, "—Er, Zayne, helped it get away."

Zayne felt all three pairs of eyes shift to her, and snaked her hands into her pockets in an attempt to evade attention.

 _Thanks a lot, Lillie.  
_

"But—but the bride collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine… And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

"… Wait, the giant orange chicken-looking thing?" Her eyes went to Kukui in skepticism, " _That's_ your island's guardian?"

Both Hala and Kukui guffawed at the comment.

"Take care it doesn't hear you say as much!" Hala warned, "Although it is said to protect us, Tapu Koko is a fickle creature—it would not be the first time it has struck down one who doubted its power."

 _It's a giant flying electric chicken monster—trust me, I'm not gonna go outta my way to piss it off._

"But being saved by the guardian deity!" Kukui cut in, "That's sure something you don't hear everyday!"

Zayne shrugged, "I'm sure it would've done it for anyone."

Hala heard the comment, but seemed to disregard it, "Kukui, my boy, I'd say we have cause to celebrate!" He turned to Zayne, "Your name is Zayne, I've gathered? It seems I should entrust you with another Pokémon for your team, with you being new to the region."

Zayne felt herself flinch, "Uh. No, that's fine. I'm good."

Hala looked surprised by her reply, "Are you?"

"Yeah—" She gestured back to Sigmund, almost hastily, "He's my starter."

"Ah, I see." He nodded to the hypno, "Nevertheless, Zayne, I'd still like to offer you a new—"

"Really, it's good," she interrupted, wanting the subject to end already, "It's—starters are for kids who need their first Pokémon and all that stuff. So like, I don't wanna take that away from them. You know?"

Both Kukui and Lillie appeared oblivious to the lie—Zayne had to admit, it was one of her most convincing performances, yet. A stern looked proved that Sigmund knew better.

And apparently, he wasn't the only one.

Hala's eyes had gone sharp. They bore into her relentlessly. To her own astonishment, Zayne felt herself beginning to falter slightly, shrinking. When she realized it, not only did she fight the movement and stand devoutly straighter, but something began to boil within her stomach and behind her cheeks.

She knew as well as he did that he could see right through her.

And Zayne did _not_ like it.

The Kahuna's expression softened, but his eyes never shifted.

"Very well—you're free to make that choice, after all." He sported a controlled smile that Zayne automatically assumed was condescending, "But the offer remains, should you change your mind."

She forced down the glare that threatened to surface, "Mmkay."

Kukui gave her a friendly slap on the back, "Don't you worry about it, cousin! We're gonna make a fine trainer out of you, yet!" As an afterthought, he began to rummage through the pockets of his labcoat, "Now I had something for you here somewhere…"

After a moment, Lillie reached into her own bag, "Um, professor?" She held out something to him.

"Huh? Oh!" He laughed in spite of himself, "I asked you to hang onto them for me, yeah? Good thing one of us remembered!" Kukui took the objects and began to hand them off to Zayne, "Just a little "Welcome to Alola" gift from me, yeah."

She recognized the metallic red item, "Oh hey. Pokédex."

"Yeah! You have one from Kanto?"

"Used to. Dropped and broke it."

"This one's tough stuff—good luck breaking it this time around!" He also handed her a small booklet, "And this here's a trainer passport I had put together. Keeps track of your adventures and all."

Zayne could see the enthralling entries now: _9am- slept, 10am- slept, 11am- slept…_

Sigmund nudged her.

"What?" It clicked a second later, "Oh. Thanks, Kukui."

"Oh! And one more thing!" He withdrew a small baggie and tossed it over, "So you can keep track of your pokébeans."

"Pokébeans?"

"Regional treat we got here—little guys grow on trees around the islands. Check 'em out! See if Sigmund's as crazy for them as Alola Pokémon are!"

She reached in and withdrew a blue bean that fit comfortably in her palm; meshing it in her fingers, it proved firm, but not unbreakable.

"… Huh." Zayne extended her hand to Sigmund, "Well, check and see if it's poisoned then."

The hypno rolled his eyes but accepted the treat, popping it into his mouth.

…

He gave her a look.

"No I will not let you keep track of the bag." She took the opportunity to stash the items in her backpack, "Guess that means you like them, then."

While Kukui laughed at the comment, Zayne took the opportunity to slip away from the group, more or less unnoticed.

"Well. I've done my socializing for the day," she muttered to Sigmund.

The hypno shook his head; she knew he was chastising her, and she knew for what.

"Oh shut up," she retorted, "You saw that look he gave me. I'm not having it."

Sigmund made a quick gesture with his hand, implying she should calm down. The suggestion was ignored.

As Zayne descended the stone steps, she caught the sound of rushing footsteps approaching her—never a good thing, in her mind. She automatically braced herself and peered up.

"Hey! Hey!" A tan-skinned boy dashed towards her, beaming from ear to ear. He too sported bright colors on his clothes: baggy, floral orange pants with shoes of the same color. His bushy black ponytail bounced as he ran, smile never faltering, and he finally skidded to a halt in front of her.

"Hey!" he repeated, "You're the new kid, right? The one who came in from Kanto?"

Zayne squinted, practically blinded by his sunny attitude, "Ugh." She corrected herself, "Yeah."

She thought it impossible, but his smile somehow widened.

"Awesome! Hey, let's have a battle—you and me!"

Behind her, someone boomed with laughter, "Slow down, boy! Where's the fire?"

Hala passed her to give the boy a clap on the shoulder, "And what kind of battle would that be, where you don't even give a name first, eh?"

Kukui and Lillie had followed Hala, and the boy being addressed grinned sheepishly at the correction.

"Fair enough." He turned back to Zayne, extending a hand, "Hi! I'm Hau! Wanna battle?"

Zayne reached out to shake his hand, still a bit overwhelmed by his exuberance, "Uh. Hey. I'm Zayne. And… sure, I guess."

"Awesome!" Hau's eyes darted to Sigmund, "Whoa, is that one of your Pokémon? He looks so cool!" He bent down and put out a hand, "Hey there!"

Sigmund blinked, equally taken aback. He returned the handshake in a similar manner as Zayne.

"So come on! Let's battle!" Hau urged, practically jumping up and down, "I've been looking all over to meet you!"

Hala chuckled, "I appreciate your willingness to battle my grandson, here—I expect a no-holds-barred battle from the both of you!"

Before Zayne could open her mouth to protest, Hau had latched onto her arm and started to drag her back to Iki Town.

"Come on! We can use the arena!"

The boy had a stronger grip than she imaged, but Zayne freed herself with a swift tug.

"I'm coming," she couldn't help but snap, "Slow down."

"Sorry!" Hau replied over his shoulder, "I'm just so pumped! This is gonna be great! I've been waiting to give my rowlett a real battle!"

"Rowlett?"

"Yeah, Pueo is my starter! I've only had Ulani to train him against until now—so watch out!"

Zayne glanced back at Sigmund, "… Uh. Hey, just so you know, I think I'm a couple years ahead of you in the whole training game—"

Hau had already leapt onto the wooden arena, "Whoop! This is gonna be intense!"

She knew he was missing the point, "No, I mean, it's not gonna be a fair fight. I've got an advantage."

He smiled with a glint in his eyes, "Guess I'll have to give it my all then!"

Zayne frowned, giving up.

"Fine." She stepped up to face him, "Go for it."

Hau withdrew a pokéball from his pocket, and practically hurling it forward, called out "Go Pueo!"

The ball struck the ground, then opened with a flash of light. A light brown owl fluttered its wings to land comfortably, blinking its saucer eyes at her. He seemed to have two small leaves beneath his beak, resembling a bowtie.

Zayne smirked, "Cute." She glanced back at Sigmund, "Give 'em hell, Sig."

Sigmund walked to stand before her, facing the rowlet. It wasn't surprising that he didn't seem all that anxious.

Hau whistled to his rowlet, "Let's give it all we got, Pueo!"

Pueo spun his head a full 180 degrees to coo back at Hau, then faced Sigmund head on, letting out a chirp of challenge.

"Pueo, use leafage!" Hau instructed.

The rowlet flapped its wings until it was at least a foot off the ground, and with a shrill cry, shot out a wave of small leaves from beneath its feathers.

Sigmund raised and arm to shield his face from the attack, not even flinching. When the leaves subsided, he glanced back at Zayne.

She nodded, "You know what to do."

He returned the nod. Sigmund reached inside the ruff of fur around his neck, withdrawing something small and circular. It glinted in the light, and he let it dangle on a previously hidden string.

Pueo stared at the pendulum, enraptured by the small object.

Slowly, in a seamless arc, Sigmund began to swing the pendulum back and forth. It was uncanny how easily it moved—almost separate from the world around it. The rowlet chirped once, then began to approach it.

Hau was confused, "Pueo, what are you doing? It's a trap!"

"Well of course it is," Zayne replied flatly.

When Pueo was within a few inches of the glistening metal pendulum, Sigmund raised his free hand to stop its motion. It continued to spin on its string, mesmerizing the bird further.

Sigmund made his attack; with one swift motion, he swung the pendulum in an arc, bringing it down directly on Pueo's head.

Pueo squawked, broken out of the trance—and then again, as he was knocked back with a second pendulum blow. The little bird didn't rise, head spinning wildly.

Zayne let out a quick breath, feeling an unmistakable rush of pride, "I think we're done here."

Instead of being angry, like she expected, Hau's astonished expression split into a grin.

"Hoo-wah!" he exclaimed, "That gave me chicken-skin!"

 _Dude, I just beat you,_ she mentally commented, _What are you so happy about?_

Kukui stepped up to the arena to slap Hau on the back, "Nice one, cousin!" He flashed Zayne a smile, "Whoo! Never seen a hypno use that move before! You trained him well, yeah!"

In the middle of the arena, Sigmund knelt beside Pueo, helping the small Pokémon return to his senses. The rowlet was cawing pitifully, his head turning this way and that. Sigmund steadied him, receiving no resistance.

"You didn't even need to tell him what to do—he just knew!" Hau marveled, "That's awesome!"

Zayne shrugged, "Eh. Psychic type, you know."

Behind her, Lillie raised her voice with difficulty, "Um… Zayne? Your… your bag…"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's… glowing."

Half doubting her, Zayne removed the straps to see for herself—

"Well then."

The front pocket was clearly emanating a bright white light, and after rummaging around inside, she discovered that the light was coming from the shiny rock she'd been given earlier.

Hala's interest was piqued, "Zayne, may I see that?"

"Sure." She handed it over, and Hala studied it intently.

Hau ran over to his grandfather to take a peek, and he gasped.

"Tutu," he piped up, "Isn't that…"

He nodded at the unfinished question, "Yes, my boy, I believe it is." Hala glanced up at Zayne, his expression masked, "Zayne, you were rescued at the bridge by Tapu Koko, correct?"

 _Oh great, this again._

She withheld a grimace, "Yeah."

"Hm… it would seemed it even deigned to give you a stone, even after just arriving in the region…" Hala stroked his mustache in thought, "… This is very fascinating. Perhaps you are here in Alola because it is where you are meant to be."

Skepticism was blatant on her face, "Sure, maybe."

"Allow me to borrow this stone for now—" He smirked, picking up her expression, "Don't worry. I'll return it. Eventually."

"Oh no, not my special sparkling rock," she lamented flatly, "I've had it a full five minutes; I can't imagine life without it."

Hala chuckled at her sarcasm, then clapped her on the shoulder, "You have the makings of a fine trainer, Zayne. Keep training."

He left it at that, leaving the arena behind.

Hau took his place, jumping as usual, "You need to come to the festival tomorrow evening! It'll be great!"

"Festival?"

"Yeah, yeah! There's gonna be all sorts of great food and battling—it's the best!"

Pueo waddled over to his side, so Hau scooped up the Pokémon and tickled it under the beak, "Pueo, we gotta train to be ready for tomorrow! We'll beat Zayne next time for sure!" He placed the rowlet on his shoulder, then ran after Hala, waving back as he went, "Bye Zayne! Bye Sigmund! Bye Kukui and Lillie!"

Once he was out of sight, Zayne felt like she could finally breathe again.

 _That kid never once stood still,_ she mused, _Good god._

Kukui left the arena to stand before her, beaming proudly.

"You're just stirring up all sorts of adventure, aren't you?" he joked, "But you heard Hau—you oughtta join us for the festival tomorrow evening. I'll come by to pick you up, in case you accidentally sleep through it!"

 _Well there goes that plan._

"I'll make sure you get home alright tonight—Lillie, why don't you come along too?" he offered, "Wouldn't wanna lose you twice in one day—you or that precious Pokémon of yours, yeah!"

Lillie nodded seriously, hand on the bag at her side, "Yes, professor. I will keep an eye on—"

Nebby peeped from behind her, floating contentedly.

Seeing this, Lillie's cheeks went pink, "Oh, Nebby! Would you please try not to escape the very moment you're told not to wander off?"

Kukui laughed heavily, a hand around his middle. Zayne managed a small breath of a laugh, then turned back to Sigmund, "Come on, Sig."

When he reached her side, Zayne inconspicuously scratched his fur with great affection.

"Thatta boy," she encouraged, "Way to take down the feathered marshmallow."

He rolled his eyes, but she knew he appreciated it. They followed after Kukui and Lillie, at their own pace.

* * *

Zayne trudged inside, shutting the door once Sigmund had entered after her.

"I'm home," she muttered rather than announcing.

The living room was still piled high with boxes, though she wasn't surprised.

"Hi honey!" Ms. Mercer greeted cheerfully, "I was wondering when you'd find your way home again! So, tell me about everything!"

"Eh." She shrugged, heading for her room as she talked, "Met people. Fell of a bridge. Got saved by an electric chicken."

Ms. Mercer giggled, "Same old same old then, huh?"

She didn't bother to explain that she wasn't joking, "Yep."

"Make any new friends?"

Zayne stopped, making a face, "I was out for an hour."

"Plenty of time to meet and greet!"

"Eh."

"Well, don't worry! You'll make friends soon enough!"

"Sure." Zayne had made it to the hallway, "I'm gonna take a nap."

"You don't wanna eat something? You woke up just a little while ago."

"I'm good," she responded without looking back, "Just tired."

Ms. Mercer smiled sympathetically, "It was a long move, wasn't it? You get some rest, dear. I'll wake you up when dinner's ready, okay? Maybe by then Milo and I will have finished unpacking—you unpack too, when you're feeling up to it."

"Mmkay."

"Love you, sweetie!"

"Mm-hm." She closed the bedroom door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Zayne dear! Have you unpacked yet?"

Zayne's eyes were glued to her laptop screen, her room adorned with cardboard boxes.

"Yep."

"Good! And are you ready for tonight?"

She stretched comfortably, still in her pajamas.

"Yep."

From the living room, the doorbell rang.

"Oh! That must be Professor Kukui again!"

Zayne groaned, knowing she'd need to get up for the first time in several hours. She picked up her discarded clothes from the previous day, and deeming them clean enough, slipped them on.

When she emerged from her bedroom, blinking in the light that was considerably harsher than her computer screen, Kukui waved at her.

"Alola cousin!" he greeted, "You wanna head over to the festival?"

"Sure." Zayne turned to see Sigmund in the kitchen, who was apparently the only family member making headway in their unpacking, "Come on, Sig."

"I'll catch up with you there, Zayne!" her mother told her as she left, "Love you, sweetie!"

This time, Kukui took them up a path on the opposite side of the house. It wasn't paved, and sported large patches of unkempt, tall grass.

Kukui halted, remembering something, "Oh yeah- man, I am flunking as a professor right now!" He faced Zayne, "You need a refresher on how to catch Pokémon?"

Zayne gave him a flat look.

"I'm fifteen. Not five."

He laughed, "You never know, yeah? Just checking." Kukui crossed his arms, giving her a teasing look, "So, expert like you's gotta have her fair share of potions and pokéballs, yeah?"

"Potions: yes. Balls: no."

"Well lemme fix that!" Kukui reached inside his pockets and withdrew a handful of pokéballs, "Here ya go, cousin."

Initially, she put a hand up to deflect the offer.

"I'm good," she reasoned, "Sigmund's a handful on his own."

"Oh I bet. Sure you don't wanna expand your move-pool with some more teammates? Gives you more type advantages that way."

"I'm good," she repeated, more firmly.

He accepted the answer with a nod, "Alright- take these just to humor me then, yeah? Who knows if you'll change your mind?"

Zayne took the pokéballs purely to end the conversation.

"Sure." She reached back and dropped them haphazardly into her backpack's front pocket.

"Let's shake a leg, cousin- pretend you're a Pokémon and use your agility, yeah!"

It only increased Zayne's urge to take her time, and she plodded along through the tall grass.

In a matter of blind steps, something dashed underfoot, making her fumble for balance.

"What the h-"

With a yowling hiss, a lanky brown Pokémon darted out of the grass, launching itself at Zayne.

It stopped midair, halted by an unseen force. Zayne could see it clearly: brown with a blonde stripe down its back, stubby legs, and pathetically small teeth snapping at her from feet away.

Sigmund had a hand raised calmly, using his powers to levitate the small ferocious creature at a safe distance.

Kukui backtracked to scope out the situation, then grinned when he understood.

"Ain't exactly what I had in mind, telling you to catch Pokémon." He bent over to examine the writhing Pokémon, "Looks like we gotta yungoos here!"

"Ah. The obligatory rodent of the region."

"Yeah, you're gonna be seeing a lot of these little guys around here!" Kukui tried to tickle the wild yungoos, and barely avoided losing a finger to the Pokémon.

Zayne smirked at his misfortune, then instructed Sigmund, "Feel free to launch it."

He disobeyed, setting down the yungoos gently and allowing it to flee.

As they walked, Zayne was surprised not to find any trainers along the route; she was used to seeing every path crawling with challengers, people who apparently had nothing better to do with their time.

"Pretty quiet out here," Kukui commented, apparently on the same page as her, "Everyone's probably crowding Iki Town about now."

"So what exactly is this whole thing?" she finally asked, "The festival, or whatever it is?"

"Oh, I'll let Hala explain it to you- he lives for that sort of storytelling."

Zayne cringed at the choice of words, "Storytelling? Does that mean he's gonna hold me hostage for twenty minutes and lecture me about how things were better "back in his day"?"

Kukui suddenly grinned, almost embarrassed.

"Well... why don't you ask him yourself, yeah?"

Zayne was brought back to her surroundings- they had arrived at the steps of Iki Town. At the top, arms crossed comfortably across his middle, was Hala.

Kukui winked, "I'll let you talk yourself outta this one, cousin!" He left her to chase after a group of young boys who were roughhousing with a brown dog-like Pokémon.

 _... Great._ Zayne kept her mouth clamped tightly shut, and remained standing exactly where she was. Therefore, Hala was the one to make up the distance between them.

"So. Ready for an old man's storytelling?" he asked, clearly teasing.

Zayne opened her mouth to retort- only to bite her tongue instead.

"Sure."

His mustache rose with a smirk, and he nodded his head for her to follow as he spoke.

"The Alola region is made up of four islands; each island has its own guardian Pokémon. Our festival today is held to express our thanks to these great Pokémon for always remaining by our sides."

They neared the center of the town, where villagers mingled and children played. There weren't many, but Zayne had expected as much.

She huffed, "Record turn-out?"

Hala chuckled without offense, "Well, we may call it a festival, but it's just this little thing you see here. There may not be many of us, but at least every last person and Pokémon here goes all out."

"... So... no human sacrifices then, huh?"

Behind her, Sigmund buried his face in a hand.

Hala gave her a look, appearing deathly serious.

"Not this year."

She knew he was joking.

... She was _pretty sure_ of it, at least.

From afar, someone shouted over to them, "Hey! Zayne! You made it!"

Hau bounded over, a pikachu and rowlet in tow.

"I've been waiting for you forever!" he exclaimed, "Come on! The first festival you go to is always the best! There's so much cool stuff to do!"

She preferred his company to Hala's, but only just, so she walked alongside the boy.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"The battling's always the best- there's always some really intense ones in there! Sometimes my grandpa will even join in- and he means business, when it comes to battles for Tapu Koko!"

"Uh-huh," she muttered, not really listening, "What else?"

"You've gotta check out the buffet table! It's _almost_ as great as the battles!"

Zayne perked up, "Now you're speaking my language."

"Come on! It's this way!" Hau dashed off towards a small fire pit, over which various foods were cooking. This time, Zayne didn't stall.

* * *

 _"Whooooo!"_ Hau cheered on the battlers, his mouth stuffed full of food _._

Zayne sat cross-legged in the dirt beside Hau, the two of the sporting front-row seats before the battle arena. She sported a handful of mochi balls, the only food at the table she'd recognized in full. She offered one to Sigmund, but he turned it down with a wave- she'd relented and handed him the bag of pokébeans the moment they sat down.

Hau extended a small bowl he was holding, "You wanna try some?"

She eyed the purplish brown paste with unease.

"What the heck is that?"

"Poi!" When she didn't show signs of recognition, he explained, "It's made from taro. You can basically dip anything in it and it'll taste better- you could eat a whole bowl on its own, too!"

"So, gimme some insight here- bitter? Sweet? Spicy?"

"Oh, it's really sweet! I think this one might have coconut milk in it!"

 _That looks like pure poison,_ she mused, _... Eh. Maybe if I'm lucky, it will be._

Zayne conservatively dipped one of her mochi balls inside and tasted the strange paste.

"Well? What do you think?"

"... Holy hell, that is overwhelmingly sweet." Safe to say, she would not be taking anything else he offered her.

Hau hardly heard her, again cheering on the battlers, "Yeah! You got this!"

Zayne hadn't been paying all that much attention to the battle, and only now cared to spectate. A young boy and girl were giving it their all, the former sporting a yungoos and the latter a tiny black and red bird, apparently called a pikipek.

"Use peck!" the girl commanded, causing the bird to take flight, then repeatedly dive bomb the aggravated rodent.

"Hey! You two scoping out the competition, yeah?"

Both she and Hau turned at the voice, only to see a grinning Kukui, followed closely by Lillie.

"Yeah, you got that right!" Hau replied, "Hey Zayne- how about after this, we have a rematch? Pueo and I did some more training, so he definitely got stronger! And you haven't even seen Ulani in action yet!"

The two Pokémon perked up upon being addressed; Pueo was perched on Sigmund's shoulder, Ulani was making an attempt to procure a pokébean from under Sigmund's watchful eye.

"Hey, no fraternizing with the enemy, Sig," Zayne told him sarcastically.

"Oh, you two will be battling?" Lillie asked, "I don't like seeing Pokémon fight one another, since they so often get hurt... but it seems like an important event, doesn't it? So I'll be sure to watch for the both of you."

"I mean..." Zayne began to protest, but it ended in a sigh, "... You up for it, Sig?"

He nodded, handing both Hau's Pokémon a pokébean.

"Since when are you so generous?" she joked, "Sure. Rematch."

"Awesome! I can't wait!" Hau exclaimed, hurrying to finish off the last of his food.

"Now, you do know I've had him for like, four years," she attempted to warn once again, "He's had a lot more experience in battling."

"It's gonna be great for my team then- they'll be ready to take on anything, now!"

She huffed in defeat, "Mm-hm."

Once the two children had completed their battle (the girl had won, and made no secret of her pride in doing so), Hala took the stage and addressed them both.

"That was a wonderful battle, you two." He offered a smile to the boy, "Do not be discouraged, Peter. Take what you've learned from the battle and use it to secure victory, in your next." The smile he gave the girl was noticeably tinged with an unspoken humor, "And Estela... perhaps you should thank the Pokémon that brought you victory, rather than praising your efforts alone."

 _Burn,_ Zayne mentally spectated, half enjoying it and half empathizing with the now red-cheeked girl.

Hala gave them both an encouraging clap on the shoulder before calling out, "And who will be our next battlers, this evening?"

"Over here!" Hau shouted, waving wildly, "Me and Zayne are gonna go at it again!"

"Excellent!" Hala beckoned them up, "We'll see what you've both learned from your last battle."

"Come on, team!" Hau instructed, "Let's give it all we've got!"

The Pokémon dashed after him, sharing his boundless energy. Zayne rose lazily to her feet, and Sigmund followed her inertly.

As they approached, Hala introduced them to the gathering crowd of villagers, "Before you stands Hau- grandson of the Melemele island kahuna."

Hau waved, beaming widely. Kukui returned the gesture, and much more shyly, so did Lillie.

"And before him stands Zayne- the newcomer from Kanto, who has met with Tapu Koko."

 _Oh good, we're still harping on that._ The whispers of those around her, both in confusion and curiosity, were blatantly obvious. She ducked into herself a bit, edging away from them as well as the encouraging shouts of Kukui... and apparently her mother.

"You go, sweetie!" Ms. Mercer called out, having arrived just in time, "That's my girl! Take care of her, Sigmund!"

 _Please no, mom._

Hala stepped off the wooden arena, "Hau, Zayne, bring forth the power of your Pokémon!"

"Go Ulani!"

"Have fun, Sig."

The pikachu hopped forward, sizing up her opponent. Her fur bristled with anticipation, electricity dancing around her tail and in her eyes.

"Pikaaaa..." She wagged her tail, almost swaggering in place. It made Sigmund scoff.

"She's fast," Zayne advised, "You know what to do."

He nodded, patiently awaiting the first attack.

"Ulani! Use thundershock!"

She crouched on all fours, all too eager to comply, and charged up an attack. Her cheeks sparked, increasingly more powerfully, and Sigmund braced himself.

 _"Chuuuu!"_ the pikachu cried, sending a bolt of electricity barreling towards the hypno.

Sigmund's eyes widened for a brief moment before he ducked to the ground, casting his held pendulum to the side. When he was struck by the attack, he merely flinched.

He blinked a second, as if to say "...Huh." Once the threat had subsided, he stuck out a hand, and the pendulum came to him with ease.

"You good?" Zayne checked, and after receiving a nod, offered, "Go for it. Slow her down."

Sigmund let the pendulum dangle aimlessly by its string, then began to spin it in a rapid circular motion. Once it had melted into a seamless blur, he flicked his wrist, sending it flying forward.

"Ulani!" Hau warned, "Look out!"

She squeaked, doing her best to dodge the unexpected projectile; it whizzed harmlessly past her head, then suddenly arched backwards, returning to Sigmund. Behind it, a faint trail of pink light lingered in the air, branching out like a grid in all directions.

Ulani peered around itself, but feeling no ill effects, attempted to charge up another attack-

Only to have Sigmund beat her to the punch, hitting her with a wave of psychic energy. The pikachu was flung back a few feet, though she managed to land on her feet, unsteadily.

Hau was in astonishment, "But, she's so fast-"

"Trick room, dude," Zayne offered with a smirk, "Gotta cover your weaknesses one way or another."

Trying to shake off the effects, Ulani charged up another thundershock and sent it flying.

Sigmund merely stepped to the side, seeing it coming. He put up a hand to unleash another psychic blast-

 _No, physical. Pikachu have low defense. Don't waste specials and tire yourself out._

The thought made it through- Sigmund stopped, glancing back at Zayne to confirm what he'd heard. They exchanged nods.

He thrust out a hand- Ulani came rocketing forward, yanked by an unseen force.

"Piiiiiiika!" she protested, thrashing madly.

At the last moment, Sigmund ducked down, ramming his head into the pikachu in an unyielding headbutt. She was sent sprawling into the air, caught at the last second by Hau.

"Ulani?!" He jostled the Pokémon gently, but when he got no response, returned her to her pokéball.

"Hm..." For a moment, it almost seemed as if his face would shift into something besides a smile- but it was remedied quickly. "So the slower Pokémon moves faster now, huh? Good thing Pueo isn't as leveled up as Sigmund then!"

Zayne blinked, _Oh. Guess he caught that. Shoot._

With a laugh, he shouted, "Let's do this, Pueo!"

The rowlet flew forward, and Sigmund shot Zayne a glance as if to blame her for the disadvantage he now faced.

"Oh calm down," she muttered, "We've beat him once. We'll do it again. Just slower."

He huffed, but didn't back down from the opponent.

"Pueo, let's try out leafage again!"

This time, rather than a trickle of leaves in the breeze, it looked as if a small pile had been whipped up- they shot forward like small darts.

Sigmund threw up a hand, and they were stopped in their tracks. Rather than letting them fall to his feet, he returned them to their source; they rocketed back towards Pueo.

He remained airborne, dodging the leaves with clumsy acrobatics, and was hit by his fair share. It tired him out, causing him to retreat to the land.

To the Pokémon's fright, Sigmund let his pendulum drop on its string, and began to swing it.

He squawked with fright, shielding its eyes from view via its fluffy wings.

Sigmund suddenly showed his teeth in a smile- it was not a common expression. Or a pleasant one. Zayne shuddered, still not used to it. But she knew that the young Pokémon had walked into a trap.

Pueo was now blind to the oncoming attack, a headbutt of the same caliber as the one that had taken down Ulani. The rowlet staggered, but did not fall.

"Come on Pueo!" Hau encouraged, "You can still do this! Get your balance back and try leafage again!"

He spun his head around once, then returned it to face Sigmund, determined.

"Kiiiii!" He flapped his wings furiously, sending forth another wave of leaves.

Sigmund took the brunt of this, shielding his eyes. The leaves whipped past his skin, only managing to produce small red marks. When it subsided, he wasted no time in finishing the battle; he forced Pueo off his feet with a psychic blow, and the rowlet surrendered with a pathetic coo.

Zayne couldn't help but smile, for no more than a second.

"Attaboy, Sigmund," she praised.

On the other end of the arena, Hau returned Pueo to his pokéball- and then whooped.

"That was awesome!" he cheered, "Whoo! If only it was longer!"

 _Okay, what the actual hell is up with this kid?_ she pondered, _Does he even know how to show an emotion other than irritating glee?_

Hala stepped up to the arena, in between the two of them.

"It was an impressive battle!" he confirmed, "Hau, you have grown stronger since your first battle with Zayne- continue to train with your Pokémon."

"Will do, Tutu!" he agreed, then jumped off the arena, "Thanks for the battle, Zayne! Look out- I won't make it so easy, next time!"

 _Uh-huh. Sure._

Zayne attempted to vacate the arena as well, to slip out of sight of the crowd-

"Zayne."

She halted at the voice.

Hala approached her, his face all but unreadable.

"Both you and Sigmund battled well- you rarely needed to call out instructions to him. It shows that the two of you are truly in-sync."

Zayne shrugged passively, "Eh, don't be so impressed- psychic type. Comes natural for them."

Hala's mustache twitched upwards into a smirk.

"I see." He crossed his arms comfortably, "If that is the case... then I suppose you would not be opposed to a battle?"

Zayne blinked, "What, against you?"

"That is the idea."

She studied his expression, searching for a hint to his intentions. Finding none, she glanced back at Sigmund.

He just shrugged, clueless as she was.

"... What's the catch?"

Hala chuckled, "No catch, suspicious one. You have trained a few years with your Pokémon... I thought you would appreciate a challenge more _befitting_ your experience level."

 _I don't like the sound of that at all._

 _Yeah, I'm not taking the bait._

 _... And if I don't, he'll never let me live it down. Hold it over my head daily._

 _Not gonna happen._

"Sure."

"Excellent."

They faced each other from opposite ends of the arena, Sigmund beside Zayne. He seemed to be skeptical of what she had gotten them into.

People were muttering again- this time, they sounded apprehensive.

Even Kukui warned, with a laugh, "Go easy on them, kahuna! Gotta let her and Sigmund make it out in one piece, yeah?"

"Why is everyone so nervous?" Lillie whispered to Hau, "Is something wrong?"

Hau shook his head with an easy smile, "Nah, nothing's wrong! Hala's super strong, so he usually only fights people on their island trials. So he must think Zayne is pretty strong, if he's battling her already!"

Lillie looked back at Zayne, her concern not diminished.

Reaching into the pocket of his yellow overshirt, Hala withdrew a pokéball and tossed it forward.

With a flash and a snarl, a mankey landed in the center of the arena.

Zayne couldn't hide her surprise, "... Really?"

Hala feigned ignorance, "Is something wrong?"

 _I dunno, just the fact that you've gotta be kidding me, sending out a fighting type against a psychic._

"Nope." She nodded to Sigmund, "Have at it."

The hypno stepped up, not batting an eye at the mankey's manic growling.

Hala wasted no time, "Mankey, focus energy."

The Pokémon grunted in obedience, then began to focus his energy for the upcoming attack.

"Don't give him a chance, Sig," she warned, "Take 'em out quick."

Sigmund acted without hesitation or restraint, sending a blast of psychic energy hurdling straight towards the mankey.

It struck dead-on, and the mankey fell.

Hala returned it to its pokéball, then without comment, threw out another- a makuhita.

 _What the hell are you playing at, old man?_

While she stood in a suspicious silence, Hala took the opportunity to instruct his Pokémon, "Sand attack."

The bulky Pokémon brought his fists down on the wooden arena, causing a mass of sand to fly up, then clatter to the wooden paneling. Then, he whipped up a cloud of it, flinging it directly into Sigmund's eyes.

Sigmund was unable to shield his face in time- he threw out a hand, blindly, and sent out a psychic attack.

The makuhita went down with a single hit, just like his predecessor.

Hala withdrew the fainted Pokémon, held a final pokéball... and gave Zayne a wry smile.

"Did you really think it would be this easy?"

"What? You gonna send out another fighting type?"

"I am."

"Mmkay. Sure."

 _You know, for a while there I actually thought you were some... I dunno, decent trainer?_

Something still wasn't clicking here- he was _kahuna._ Of the whole island. Supposedly skilled and respected. What the hell was this? What joke was she missing?

Hala threw out the pokéball, and large, hulking hariyama landed with a thud.

Only now did Sigmund seem nervous- he glanced back at Zayne for reassurance.

"You've taken down guys bigger than him," she reassured, "Don't sweat it. Now, use-"

"Hariyama. Use payback."

Zayne's heart leapt into her throat.

" _What_."

"You must cover your weaknesses one way or another," Hala simply stated, turning her own words back on her.

 _SHIT THAT'S A DARK TYPE MOVE._

It sparked into panic, "Wait. Sigmund-"

Too late. The hariyama held an opened palm at his waist, in which a collection of purple energy was beginning to accumulate.

Sigmund frantically tried to summon another wave of psychic power, but was lagging- he was tired. The sand in his eyes was impeding his view, distracting him.

The hariyama threw out his opened hand, and the energy shot forth in daggers, striking their target without restraint.

* * *

Zayne huffed, deepening her slouch as much as she could. Most of the villagers had retired for the night, leaving her one of the very few that remained- slouched against the back of the arena, hidden from view.

Beside her, Sigmund was deep in a fatigued meditation, regaining his strength. For the first minute or so after being knocked out in battle, he'd been out like a light. Even now, his focus seemed inconsistent.

"Doing alright?" she asked lowly, and received a brief nod. He wasn't in the mood for conversation.

Zayne said nothing more, staring back at the wall of trees hiding Mahalo Trail.

Footsteps were heard on the wooden arena, growing closer. Zayne willed her expression into something hardened, refusing to reveal any sort of break in her composure.

Kukui appeared, grinning as usual, "You hiding out here, cousin?"

"Mm."

He hopped down to join her, "That was some battle, yeah?"

"I lost."

"Doesn't mean it wasn't a good battle!"

"Mm."

Kukui smiled sympathetically, "Well hey, at least now you know one of his tricks, yeah?"

"Mm-hm."

He gave her a pat on the back, "Don't beat yourself up, cousin. I can't tell you how many times ol' Hala put me in my place, when I was your age."

 _Put me in my place? Is that what Hala thinks he's done?_

 _Well then, he's got another goddamn thing coming._

"Anyway," Kukui continued, "I got something to give you- Hala's the one who had it, but... heh, he figured you wouldn't be too keen on seeing him right now."

"He isn't wrong."

Kukui avoided furthering the subject, and instead handed her a paper-wrapped parcel.

Zayne began to unwrap it, mostly disinterested.

 _If it's one of Hala's starter Pokémon, I'm going to kill him_.

Instead, she revealed an odd bracelet, a cuff of sorts, made of stone. It was mostly white in color, with diamond-shaped indentions all along the band. In the center was another, with a white "Z" design across it.

"That there is a Z-ring," Kukui answered her unspoken question, "See that hole in the middle? You get things called Z-crystals when you beat trial captains and kahunas around Alola. There's all different types of 'em; you use them to power up Pokémon moves in battle, yeah!"

"... Why am I getting this?"

"It's made of that shiny stone Tapu Koko gave you, yeah. Usually the people who got 'em are captains and kahunas, people who beat their island trials- I gotta pass, being a professor and studying Pokémon moves and all." He flashed her a similar band on his own wrist. The sides were adorned with several colorful crystals, each with a visible marking on the inside.

"Huh." She wasn't nearly as interested as he'd perhaps expected.

Kukui didn't try to urge her enthusiasm; he just sat with her, not speaking.

After a moment, he looked up at the darkened sky.

"Getting late," he commented, "You need me to see you home?"

"No." She stood, "See you."

He offered a wave, "Be careful out there, cousin."

"Mm-hm."

Zayne left Iki Town, silent, with Sigmund in tow.

She stuffed her fists deep into her pockets, trying to crush down the bitter feeling in the pit of her stomach along with it. It wasn't working. Kicking at the loose stones in the dirt path didn't help, either.

 _Lost in front of the whole town. On my second day here. Starting off on the wrong f*cking foot, much?_

Because of her introspection, it took her longer than usual to realize that Sigmund had lagged behind considerably.

Zayne stopped, then backtracked.

"Sorry," she apologized shortly, "You need to go back in your pokéball?"

His face twisted into a glare, offended by the suggestion.

It made Zayne scoff, "Well _sorry!_ I just figured you'd prefer _not_ walking all the way back!"

He didn't back down, but instead glared at her further.

Zayne growled, temper flared, "I still don't know why the hell you hate it so much! It'd just be for a few minutes!"

Sigmund crossed his arms stubbornly, refusing to look at her.

Zayne threw up her hands in exasperation.

"I'm not dealing with this!" she snapped. Zayne turned her back on him and began to stalk away, "You don't wanna go in the ball? Fine. Then keep up with me."

She didn't bother taking measures to slow her pace, and she didn't once look back...

... Until she was at the house's doorstep. And saw that Sigmund was nowhere in sight.

 _He'll catch up._

Zayne sat on the steps, waiting.

A minute passed. Then another.

 _He's probably doing this on purpose. To spite me._

 _... Or he's passed out somewhere._

 _No, that's what he'd want me to think. He's can take care of himself. He's fine._

 _... Probably._

...

 _... Oh dammit._

She stood, with a groan, and made her way back up the path.

It didn't take long to find Sigmund again, off the side of the path, slumped against a tree. Zayne withheld a sigh and walked over to her downed Pokémon.

Sigmund willingly ignored her approach, up until the moment she knelt before him. Then, calmly, he opened his eyes.

"Come on, Sig. You're taking forever." She held out her hand to him.

He didn't move.

... Then, with a huff of exhaustion and surrender, he allowed himself to be helped to his feet.

Zayne remained on her knees, then lifted the Pokémon onto her back piggy-back style.

"Damn, you're gonna cripple me," she wheezed, struggling to stand again.

He scoffed, too tired to offer a rebuttal.

Zayne traveled a few feet without comment, but only at first.

Eventually, her guilt caught up with her.

"... Sorry I left you behind."

...

"... And yelled at you."

...

"... And let you get beat down by that hariyama."

Sigmund reached up and ruffled her hair, haven already forgiven her.

"Thanks, Sigmund."

...

"Try not to fall asleep on me, back there."

He pinched her in the side.

"Watch it."


End file.
